As Tom Peters says, "You can't shrink your way to greatness."
Or to put it another way, you won’t move forward if you back away from a challenge.
When it comes to deciding whether or not to go for a pitch, remember the following:
You can’t win business by not pitching.
You can’t win business by not developing great ideas.
And you can’t win business by not telling great stories.
It simply doesn’t happen.
If you’re feeling the pressure, change the game.
Make it work for you, rather than against you.
Often the people who act like they’ve got nothing to lose make the biggest leaps.
Friday, 31 July 2009
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Morphic Resonance
There comes a point in most relationships when you start completing the other person’s thoughts.
And when you try to call them you find the line’s engaged because, surprise surprise, they’re trying to call you at the exact same moment.
Spooky isn’t it?
Think you’re a little psychic don’t you?
Well, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but there’s nothing mysterious about it at all.
It’s called morphic resonance, and it’s something I’ve been talking about for a couple of decades now.
We live in an ideas-driven world, and there are only so many original thoughts out there.
So it stands to reason that at times, two (or more) people might have the same idea at the same time.
The zeitgeist determines what’s front-of-mind at any one time, so it’s easy to understand how the same thought might occur in more than one place.
But morphic resonance doesn’t scare me.
It inspires me to take the leap.
Share my ideas.
Make it happen.
Because if I don’t, you can bet that someone else with a similar idea will.
And then I’ll just be the guy who always says “I thought of that first.”
Live in the moment and get on with it.
As my old friend Robin Fielder has urged for 25 years DO IT NOW!
And when you try to call them you find the line’s engaged because, surprise surprise, they’re trying to call you at the exact same moment.
Spooky isn’t it?
Think you’re a little psychic don’t you?
Well, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but there’s nothing mysterious about it at all.
It’s called morphic resonance, and it’s something I’ve been talking about for a couple of decades now.
We live in an ideas-driven world, and there are only so many original thoughts out there.
So it stands to reason that at times, two (or more) people might have the same idea at the same time.
The zeitgeist determines what’s front-of-mind at any one time, so it’s easy to understand how the same thought might occur in more than one place.
But morphic resonance doesn’t scare me.
It inspires me to take the leap.
Share my ideas.
Make it happen.
Because if I don’t, you can bet that someone else with a similar idea will.
And then I’ll just be the guy who always says “I thought of that first.”
Live in the moment and get on with it.
As my old friend Robin Fielder has urged for 25 years DO IT NOW!
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Steady As She Goes..
Given how tough things looked back in January, it feels weird to be sitting here at the halfway point and reflecting back on what a good year 2009 has been for us so far.
Last year (2008) was a great year for Jack Morton EMEA, thanks to some tough talking the year before (2007) about the economic climate, some tightened belts and some tough targets.
That momentum started by Julian Pullan our EVP and delivered by everyone here, has all rolled up into 2009 and I think we’ve even surprised ourselves by how we’ve kept it going.
Ask any sportsman or woman and they’ll tell you the same thing.
Get into your stride and nothing can stop you.
Success can be about maintaining your momentum.
Sure, you may base your day-to-day motivation in things like a preferred routine.
Even lucky underpants.
But as long as you maintain your focus and do not become complacent.
Once you get it going you’ll be unstoppable.
Last year (2008) was a great year for Jack Morton EMEA, thanks to some tough talking the year before (2007) about the economic climate, some tightened belts and some tough targets.
That momentum started by Julian Pullan our EVP and delivered by everyone here, has all rolled up into 2009 and I think we’ve even surprised ourselves by how we’ve kept it going.
Ask any sportsman or woman and they’ll tell you the same thing.
Get into your stride and nothing can stop you.
Success can be about maintaining your momentum.
Sure, you may base your day-to-day motivation in things like a preferred routine.
Even lucky underpants.
But as long as you maintain your focus and do not become complacent.
Once you get it going you’ll be unstoppable.
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Join Me In The Virtual World
The problem with experiential events in the consumer arena has always the cost per contact.
If you want to get your brand in front of three million people, there’ll always be the temptation to just stick it on the TV.
After all, it’d have to be a pretty big event to accommodate that size of audience.
But the growth of the digital channel has opened up a brave new world of virtual events, which ultimately mean that the scale of your event is limited only by your imagination.
Look at T-Mobile, who staged a (relatively) small event at Liverpool Street, and turned it into a campaign that lives online.
People watched it, engaged with it and, most importantly, shared it.
The same goes for Sony’s Bravia campaign.
Great ideas, simply executed and a virtually limitless audience.
In last week’s Campaign, Charles Vallance of VCCP talked about the fact that there’s a change occurring within the industry, and that agencies will soon be “judged on their ability to create experiences rather than messages.”
Since we know the secret of creating engaging events that change people’s beliefs and behaviours, the virtual world’s our oyster.
If you want to get your brand in front of three million people, there’ll always be the temptation to just stick it on the TV.
After all, it’d have to be a pretty big event to accommodate that size of audience.
But the growth of the digital channel has opened up a brave new world of virtual events, which ultimately mean that the scale of your event is limited only by your imagination.
Look at T-Mobile, who staged a (relatively) small event at Liverpool Street, and turned it into a campaign that lives online.
People watched it, engaged with it and, most importantly, shared it.
The same goes for Sony’s Bravia campaign.
Great ideas, simply executed and a virtually limitless audience.
In last week’s Campaign, Charles Vallance of VCCP talked about the fact that there’s a change occurring within the industry, and that agencies will soon be “judged on their ability to create experiences rather than messages.”
Since we know the secret of creating engaging events that change people’s beliefs and behaviours, the virtual world’s our oyster.
Monday, 27 July 2009
You're Right, They're Wrong
They say many hands make light work.
But they also say too many cooks spoil the broth.
Should you look before you leap, or remember that he who hesitates is lost?
Even the Bible struggles, telling believers ‘an eye for an eye’ and ‘turn the other cheek’.
The opposite of an immutable truth is often another immutable truth.
If you’re making a list of pro’s and con’s, you’ll usually find that the con’s list is easier to write.
Because in our hearts, we know it’s never going to work.
It’s funny.
Everyone thought Galileo was either mad or a heretic for believing that the world was round, until Columbus proved him right.
Then again, everyone was convinced that Da Vinci’s sketches of flying machines were fanciful nonsense, until the Montgolfier brothers proved that, actually, man could fly.
And don’t even get me started on the fact that we were all certain that our banking system was infallible.
Until you make your new idea a reality, everyone else will be certain that it won’t work.
They might be sure of their beliefs, but they’re the ones that are wrong.
So get out there and make it happen.
But they also say too many cooks spoil the broth.
Should you look before you leap, or remember that he who hesitates is lost?
Even the Bible struggles, telling believers ‘an eye for an eye’ and ‘turn the other cheek’.
The opposite of an immutable truth is often another immutable truth.
If you’re making a list of pro’s and con’s, you’ll usually find that the con’s list is easier to write.
Because in our hearts, we know it’s never going to work.
It’s funny.
Everyone thought Galileo was either mad or a heretic for believing that the world was round, until Columbus proved him right.
Then again, everyone was convinced that Da Vinci’s sketches of flying machines were fanciful nonsense, until the Montgolfier brothers proved that, actually, man could fly.
And don’t even get me started on the fact that we were all certain that our banking system was infallible.
Until you make your new idea a reality, everyone else will be certain that it won’t work.
They might be sure of their beliefs, but they’re the ones that are wrong.
So get out there and make it happen.
Friday, 24 July 2009
Slow Food
When I go out to dinner for a quick bite (which is pretty often given my line of work), I have only one criterion for selecting a restaurant.
I want somewhere busy.
Things move pretty quickly in this fast-paced world of ours, but not in a quiet restaurant.
If it’s quiet, it takes time to for them to get going, to get up to speed.
They’re not busy, so there’s no sense of urgency and no energy.
Consequently it takes forever to get served
Who wants to eat in a place like that?
So although it sounds like back-to-front thinking, if I need someone to do a great job, I pick the busiest person.
They’re busy because word’s gotten out about how good they are.
And since they obviously thrive under pressure, they can take on numerous challenges at once without ever letting the quality suffer.
They’ll get the job done, and quick.
My recommendation?
Try the lamb - it’s delicious.
I want somewhere busy.
Things move pretty quickly in this fast-paced world of ours, but not in a quiet restaurant.
If it’s quiet, it takes time to for them to get going, to get up to speed.
They’re not busy, so there’s no sense of urgency and no energy.
Consequently it takes forever to get served
Who wants to eat in a place like that?
So although it sounds like back-to-front thinking, if I need someone to do a great job, I pick the busiest person.
They’re busy because word’s gotten out about how good they are.
And since they obviously thrive under pressure, they can take on numerous challenges at once without ever letting the quality suffer.
They’ll get the job done, and quick.
My recommendation?
Try the lamb - it’s delicious.
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Save Water, Bath With A Friend
I’m bored of saying this, but times are tight.
Resources are more limited than ever and accountability is crucial.
We need to keep our costs down and our productivity up.
We should be focusing on results.
Not roll-calls.
So here’s a tip, and in the spirit of the recession you can have it for free.
Think about who you invite to a meeting.
Who’s dialling into that conference call?
If they don’t have a speaking role, they can read the meeting notes later.
That way the people who are there can focus on the task in hand and keep everyone’s energies up. It’ll save time and money, as well as helping the project move faster.
This isn’t Ben Hur.
Your legacy won’t be based on the number of non-speaking extras you crammed into the scene.
Resources are more limited than ever and accountability is crucial.
We need to keep our costs down and our productivity up.
We should be focusing on results.
Not roll-calls.
So here’s a tip, and in the spirit of the recession you can have it for free.
Think about who you invite to a meeting.
Who’s dialling into that conference call?
If they don’t have a speaking role, they can read the meeting notes later.
That way the people who are there can focus on the task in hand and keep everyone’s energies up. It’ll save time and money, as well as helping the project move faster.
This isn’t Ben Hur.
Your legacy won’t be based on the number of non-speaking extras you crammed into the scene.
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